Matlock, 56, was a founding member of the famous British punk band. He actually shares writing credit on 10 of the 12 tracks on the group's groundbreaking 1977 album "Never Mind the Bollocks," too. But by the time the album had been recorded (with Jones tracking most of the bass parts), Matlock had been sacked and replaced with the cartoonish, controversial Vicious.

On Friday, Matlock comes to the The Linda, kicking off the Acoustic Anarchy tour at the Central Avenue concert venue.

The reasons for his dismissal remain hazy, but the fact is, the band would not have happened without him. In many ways he steered the musical ship, knocking over prog rock dinosaurs and giving shape to the Pistols' rockabilly influenced riot.

"We got fed up with the same set of old influences, and ended up going back to a basic '50s rock 'n' roll kind of approach," Matlock said from London last week, his thick Cockney accent a little winded after a dash from a late-running train.

Following his time with Rotten and company, Matlock formed The Rich Kids with future Ultravox guitarist Midge Ure. He's remained active in music ever since, playing with Iggy Pop and a handful of all star-bands like Dead Men Walking and Slinky Vagabond; standing in for the deceased Ronnie Lane in a series of Faces reunion shows; and releasing a quartet of solo albums, some accompanied by his on-and-off combo, The Philistines.

"We're between albums now. I'm writing and getting back in the swing. I've got about half an album's worth of songs in the bag."

Playing solo is not a new gig for Matlock. He said that he wrote Pistols tunes like "Anarchy in the U.K." and "Pretty Vacant" on a six-string, and added that the bass guitar is something of a sideline.

"I'm a songwriter. I see the bass as an extra arrow in my quiver.

"The common ground of all the songs I'm doing is that they started out on the acoustic guitar, and to me that's the yardstick. If it stands up with just an acoustic and a set of lyrics, then you've got something."

Originally the tour was to pair Matlock with Tommy Ramone, founding drummer and producer for the Ramones and a primal influence on the British punk scene. But Ramone, a Hudson Valley resident also known for producing (under his given name of Erdelyi) bands like The Replacements and Redd Kross, fell ill.

He has been replaced for the American dates by New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain. (Scott Kempner of the Dictators will travel with Matlock for the jaunt's Canadian leg).

Matlock knows both men, and said that on his most recent stateside trip he shared a stage in New York with Ramone.

"He's a great guitarist and he was doing bluegrass versions of stuff like 'Sheena Is a Punk Rocker' with a wicked smile to it."

Sex Pistols manager and mastermind Malcolm McLaren actually worked with the Dolls before returning to England to launch his Sex shop and help instigate the British punk and fashion culture of the late '70s.

Matlock says that while he and Ramone were largely contemporaries, Sylvain and the Dolls were a direct influence.

"The Dolls were certainly an inspiration. With their attitude, they certainly predate the Sex Pistols. The Ramones are a different matter. We grew up on opposite sides of the Atlantic and although I'd heard of them and presumably they'd heard of us, neither of us had yet made a record.

"The first time we saw them play, in London, after the Pistols were already up and running, we were quite taken aback by how much we were on the same page without having seen each other."

Matlock may have been ousted from the early lineup of the Pistols, but he's played on a number of reunion tours with the group since 1996. Similarly, Sylvain, 62, participated in a 2004 reunion of the Dolls, which produced two albums, thereby doubling the group's output.

Matlock said he hopes that he and Sylvain will eventually work up some material together, but doubted that any duets would be ready by The Linda's opening night.

"I would like to think that once we have a few soundchecks under our belt, we'll work something up," he said. "I'd suggest "(There's Gonna Be a) Showdown," which was an Archie Bell cover on their second album."

For his part, Matlock will draw from across his career, playing a show unbound by any setlist or specific plan.

"I'll do a couple of Pistols songs, some things I did with the Rich Kids, I'll do something from when I was with Iggy Pop; I've got four albums under my own name or with the Philistines and they've all got pretty good songs on them; I'll do a few covers, maybe something by Ray Davies; I even do a Scott Walker song, believe it or not. I try to mix it up."